Home * Care

Green Cleaning a Smelly Fridge

It's been a while since I updated my blog or even written anything on home care but as you can imagine, being a mom to two small children is exhausting!

Anyway, recently I went on a little holiday to Langkawi with the family. Usually when I leave, I get my brother to check in on the house once in a while, but this time I forgot. I blame my mommy brain. So when we arrived back at home, after an exhausting flight back with two cranky kids, I opened the front door to a house smelling or putrid rotten food. I forgot to throw the potatoes out before I left and guess what, there was no electricity. Which meant the contents of my refrigerator was pretty much alive again, in the most disturbing, grossest of ways.

Baking Soda 

So as we cleaned and cleaned everything up, a light bulb went off in my head. I needed to use something to help get rid of the smell and it had to be 'green.' So after a bit of research, I discovered three things to rid my stinky fridge off its disgusting smell. Vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and charcoal.

For vinegar, dilute a tablespoon of it with a glug of warm water. Bicarb? Simply spread it out on a dish and leave it in the freezer, and charcoal, put it in a bag, and also leave it in the fridge. To make sure it works properly, turn the fridge off. After a day, the smell should be gone! Now, my fridge smells normal again. Of course, the memory of what I had to clean out is still fresh but I guess only time can heal that (lol!).

So, for more tips and tricks on cleaning the green way, check this website out and you should be on your way to a fresher home!

Home * Care

Green Cleaning - Vinegar for Laundry 

When it comes to cleaning, less is more, and cleaning without toxic chemicals is known as 'green' cleaning. But really, it is just a new name for an old way of cleaning and often uses items which are already on your kitchen shelves. Vinegar for example is what I call, liquid gold. It's a mild acidic product which won't destroy surfaces and works great for soap scum. So take out your white distilled vinegar and try these 5 easy tips for cleaner and 'greener' laundry

1. Colour Brightener: Add 1/2 cup vinegar to a load of laundry (wash cycle)

2. Colour Protector: Soak new items in a straight solution of vinegar to protect dyes from running.

3. Whiter Whites: Add 1 1/2 cups of vinegar to the rinse cycle to whiten clothes.

4. Restore Whites: Fill a large stock pot half full with water and 1 cup vinegar, bring to a boil. Remoce from heat, add garments and let soak overnight. Wash the clothes the following day as usual.

5. Fabric Softener: Add 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Home * Care

Great tips by using whats in your pantry!

Photo by Jessica Lucia

Every kitchen has salt, most have olive oil and some have vinegar. But if you think all it's good for is cooking, then you are quite mistaken. I thought the same way up until I became a mother and decided green cleaning was important to know. I'm not saying I get down on my knees and clean the kitchen floor with a toothbrush and baking soda, no way at all. That's for Cinderella. I do however occasionally use it to clean my food processor from making sambal (kunyit can be so cruel). 

Anyway, Brie Dyas, a blogger from DIY Life rounded up a couple of great tips to use your everyday ingredients and some not, to clean up a mess. Who would have thought that you could channel your inner MacGyver by using cornstarch to polish silver and fight stains. I feel heroic already. 

Click here to read more... and fight grime while doing so. 

Home * Care

Make your own Fabric Freshener

Lets just say you ran out of your trusty Febreze and you desperately need to freshen up the dress you want to wear to your big interview! Well, I have found a great fabric freshener 'recipe' that will solve your problem and is very easy to make!

Ingredients:

1 cup of liquid fabric softener

1 cup white vinegar 

2 cups water

Just mix the ingredients all together, pour it into a spray bottle and you've got your very own fabric freshener! Mind you, this is not green cleaning because common fabric softeners contain a lot of chemicals. You can either purchase an Eco friendly one, or mix in some herbs like thyme or even lavender. 

Happy Cleaning! 

Home * Care

Green Cleaning - Carpet Cleaners

Carpets or Rugs are not exactly the kind of thing you buy often, and its pretty much expected for it to have that weathered look after a couple of years.

Anyway, if you are looking for a green solution to cleaning your carpet, by yourself, here is a handy tip you can use to give it a new lease of life. All you need is:

275 ml (1/2 pint) of vinegar
4.5 litres of Water.

Mix it well together and simply brush your carpet with the mixture. The next step is to rinse your carpet thoroughly. Use 60 ml distilled vinegar per 4.5 litres of water. The carpet will stay fresher longer and it removes any detergent residue.

Home * Care

Green Cleaning - Wood

The one thing i'm a little obsessed about is cleanliness, and it became worse when I found out I was pregnant. Every little thing I bought for the nursery had to be cleaned and washed a couple of times over. I think I went a little overboard.

Anyway, when I bought my sons crib, I wanted to use natural ingredients to clean it. So I did a bit of research and discovered the wonders of Vinegar, which works wonderfully to pull dirt from wood.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar

3 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent (eco-friendly)

A few drops of olive oil

Combine the ingredients in a bowl, soak a sponge with the mixture, and squeeze out the excess to wash surfaces. Don't worry about the smell of vinegar, it will disappear in a few hours. Store the leftovers carefully in a labelled jar or bottle.